1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera having a magnetic head arranged to reproduce magnetic information and a method for inspecting the reproducing capability of the camera.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known to arrange a camera to have a self-inspecting function which can be used when the camera is in the process of manufacture. For example, a camera disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 7-270985 is arranged to indicate an optimum tracking position of a magnetic head by reproducing information recorded in a magnetic recording track when the camera is loaded with a film cartridge having the magnetic information recorded in the magnetic track on a film in a state of being arranged stepwise in the direction of a width of the film.
In manufacturing cameras of the kind having the magnetic record reproducing function, it is one of indispensable inspection procedures to test the camera to ensure that the camera is capable of giving an adequate reproduction output of magnetic information recorded. The reproduction output varies with the rate of mounting error of the magnetic head, fluctuations in amplification factor of a reproducing circuit, differences among individual magnetic heads manufactured, etc. In addition to these factors, the reproduction output also varies greatly with the transport speed at which the film is transported during reproduction of magnetic information. Therefore, it has been difficult to ascribe variations or fluctuations of a reproduction output to any specific cause, even if the actual reproduction output of magnetic information recorded is tested and evaluated.
It is a first object of the invention to provide a camera arranged to give information on a film transport speed and the output level value of a reproduced signal for each frame of a film by storing the information in a storage means for an inspection of the reproduction output of magnetic information to be made when the camera is in process of manufacture, so that the inspection or a test can be simplified.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a camera inspecting method whereby an inspection of the magnetic information reproducing capability of a camera to be made when the camera is in process of manufacture can be simplified.
To attain the above objects, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a camera, which comprises a magnetic head member arranged to read magnetic information recorded in each of a plurality of frames on a film, transport means for transporting the film, speed detecting means for detecting transport speed information indicative of a speed of at least one frame which is being transported by the transport means, level detecting means for detecting a signal output level of magnetic information read out from the at least one frame by the magnetic head member, and storing means for storing the transport speed information detected by the speed detecting means and the signal output level detected by the level detecting means.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a camera, which comprises a magnetic head member arranged to read magnetic information recorded in each of a plurality of frames on a film, transport means for transporting the film, first storing means for storing transport speed information indicative of a speed of at least one frame which is being transported by the transport means, and second storing means for storing a signal output level of magnetic information read out from the at least one frame by the magnetic head member.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an inspecting method for a camera having a magnetic head arranged to read magnetic record information recorded on a film, which comprises a storing step of reading, with the magnetic head, the magnetic record information recorded at a certain frame of the film and storing the magnetic record information read and transport speed information indicative of a transport speed at which the certain frame of the film is being transported, and an inspecting step of inspecting a magnetic reproducing state of the camera by detecting the magnetic record information and the transport speed information corresponding to the certain frame stored in the storing step.
The above and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.